Where Is The Tipping Point?
I love Malcom Gladwell. I find his books and articles to be a great blend of story and sociology, history and personality. In the past year I have read Outliers and What The Dog Saw. Both are great, both are page turners and very insightful in many ways. One of his most popular books that I have not read completely is The Tipping Point. While I have not read it I am familiar enough with the idea, there comes a moment in time when a movement, a trend, a fad, or a craze takes on a life of its own and gains a sort of self perpetuating momentum.
So this is on my mind a lot, this idea. It is the focus of much conversation and chatter in the small farming community. We wonder, where is the tipping point for the food we are producing? When do we stop worrying about selling what we have and start worrying about having enough to meet demand. I know it is out there, I know the trend is going in the right direction. Buying local is growing, farmers markets are prospering, and the move is on.... but where is the tipping point?
From where I sit it looks like this: people rave about the food we sell, people rave about the farm, the land, how we operate, what we do.... So I would think, based on the feedback we get and the appreciation that pours our way, that we would be well into orders for next year by now. Now I know some of this is about marketing and getting the word out, but what I see is that even people who know we exist and who have praise for what we are doing and how we are doing it are often reluctant to place an order or really commit to making this food a part of their life.
So what gives????? Convenience? Disconnect? Money? Habits? Read the book (Omnivore's Dilemma) saw the movie (Food Inc. ) but that's it?
I will continue to await the tipping point... defined by me as a running list of folks who would like to place an order for the following season. I'll try to do my part to make that happen, like write these posts and keep whining.
So this is on my mind a lot, this idea. It is the focus of much conversation and chatter in the small farming community. We wonder, where is the tipping point for the food we are producing? When do we stop worrying about selling what we have and start worrying about having enough to meet demand. I know it is out there, I know the trend is going in the right direction. Buying local is growing, farmers markets are prospering, and the move is on.... but where is the tipping point?
From where I sit it looks like this: people rave about the food we sell, people rave about the farm, the land, how we operate, what we do.... So I would think, based on the feedback we get and the appreciation that pours our way, that we would be well into orders for next year by now. Now I know some of this is about marketing and getting the word out, but what I see is that even people who know we exist and who have praise for what we are doing and how we are doing it are often reluctant to place an order or really commit to making this food a part of their life.
So what gives????? Convenience? Disconnect? Money? Habits? Read the book (Omnivore's Dilemma) saw the movie (Food Inc. ) but that's it?
I will continue to await the tipping point... defined by me as a running list of folks who would like to place an order for the following season. I'll try to do my part to make that happen, like write these posts and keep whining.